Volume 16, Issue 1: 2026 - Article 228

Abstract
Papillomas (warts) are caused by the canine papillomavirus (CPV) in dogs. The papillomas may predispose affected dogs to secondary infections or, in rare cases, transform to malignancies. Despite its clinical significance, diagnostic information on CPV in dogs in Nigeria remains sparse. Three papillomatous skin and oral samples were obtained from exotic dog breeds presented to veterinary clinics in Plateau and Oyo States, Nigeria. Gross examination, histopathology, and molecular characterization, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 350 bp and 261 bp fragments of the CPV E6 and L1 genes, were performed. Sequencing and sequence analysis were employed to characterize the causative virus further. Grossly, the papillomas presented as multiple sessile and pedunculated, fairly circumscribed, exophytic, cauliflower-like lesions of varying sizes, scattered throughout the face, forelimbs and the oral mucosa. Histologically, there was marked acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, swollen keratinocytes and eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions, hallmarks of virus-induced lesions. PCR amplified 350 bp and 261 bp amplicons for E6 and L1 genes, respectively. BLAST analysis revealed CPV as the causative agent of the lesions. Sequence analysis showed conserved L1 regions with minor polymorphisms and high variability in E6 sequences. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the CPV under the genus Lambdapapillomavirus. This study affirms the presence and genetic features of CPV in exotic dogs in Nigeria. It also reinforces the diagnostic value of histopathology and molecular tools in veterinary dermatology. Understanding the virus’s local diversity lays a foundation for better case management, while raising important questions about host susceptibility and the role of ongoing viral evolution in clinical outcomes.

Keywords: Papillomas (warts); Dogs; Canine papillomavirus; Lambdapapillomavirus; Pathology; Molecular characterization.

How to cite this article:
Olowookere AO, Ola OO, Aiki-Raji CO, Jarikre TA, Alaka OO and Fagbohun OA (2026). Case report of papillomas in three exotic dog breeds: Pathology and molecular diagnostic findings. Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences, 16(1): 1483 – 1491.

*Correspondence: E-mail:     oa.fagbohun@unn.edu.ng     Phone: +2348107128206

Case report of papillomas in three exotic dog breeds: Pathology and molecular diagnostic findings

Amos O. Olowookere ¹, Olawale O. Ola ², Comfort O. Aiki-Raji ¹, Theophilus A. Jarikre ², Olugbenga O. Alaka ², and Olusegun A. Fagbohun ¹ *
¹ Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
² Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Download .pdf copy here >>